The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-09-22
temperance societies. Not prohibition
laws, Not moral suasion. Conversion did

way from New York to Havana and from
Havana to San Francisco, and when he |
was in port he was worse than when he |
was on the sea. What power was it that |
washed his tongue clean of profanities and |
made him psalm-singer? Conversion by |
the Holy Spirit.
There are thousands of people in this |
house tonight who are no more what they |
once were than a water-lily is nightshade,
or a morning lark is a vulture, or day is |
night.
Now, if should demand that all these
people in this house who have felt the
converting power of religion should rise,
so far from being ashamed, they would
spring to their feet with more alacrity than
they ever sprang to the dance, the tears
mingling with their exhilaration, as they
cried:
We are witnesses.
And if they tried to sing the old Gospel
hymn, they would break down with emo
tion by the time they got to the second
line:
Ashamed of Jesus, that dear friend,
On whom my hopes of Heaven depend?
MOI When blush, be this my shame,
That no more revere His name.
Again, remark that tive are witnesses"
of the Gospels power to comfort.
When q man has trouble the world comes
in and says:
''Now get your mind off this. Go out
and breathe the fresh air. Plunge deeper
into business"
What poor advice. Get your mind off Of
it, when every thing is upturned with the
bereavement, and every thing reminds
you of what you have lost. Get your mind
off of it. They might as we'll advise you
to stop thinking. You can not stop think
ing, and you can not stop thinking in that
direction. Take a walk in the fresh air.
Why, along that very street, or that very
road, she once accompanied you. Out of
that grass plot she once plucked flowers,
or into that show window she looked,
fascinated, saying:
"Come, see the pictures"
Go deeper into businessl Why, she was
associated with all your business ambition,
| and since she has gone you have no ambi-
| ton left.
Oh, this is clumsy world when it tries
| to comfort a broken heart! 1 can build a
Corliss engine, 1 can paint Raphael's
| ''Madonna," I can play Beethoven's
| "Symphony" as easily as this world can
| comfort a broken heart. And yet you
| have been comforted. How was it done?
| Did Christ come to you and say:
1 sect your mind off this; go out and
breathe the fresh air; plunge deeper into
business?"
| No. There was minute when he came
| to you-perhaps in the watches Of the
night, perhaps in your place of business,
perhaps along the strickland he breathed
something into your soul that gave peace,
rest, infinite quiet, so that you could take
out the photograph of the departed one and
look into the eyes and the face of the dear
one, and say:
at is all right: she is better off; would
not call her back. Lord, thank thee that
thou hast comforted my poor heart"
There are Christian parents here who are
willing to testify to the power of this
Gospel to comfort. Your son had just
graduated from school or college, and was
going into business, and the Lord tool
him. Or your daughter had just gradu'
ated from the young ladies' seminary, and
you thought she was going to be usefu
woman and of long life; but the Lord tool
her, and you were tempted to say:
"All this culture Of twenty years fo1
nothingW
Or the little child came home from schoo
with the hot fever that stopped not for tn,
agonized prayer or for the skillful physi
clan, and the little child was taken. o.
the babe was lifted out of your arms b,
some quick epidemic, and you stood won
dering why God ever gave you that chile
at all, If so soon He was to take it away
! And yet you are not repining, you are no
J fretful, you are not fighting against God
! What has enabled you to stand ell til
trials
"Oh," you say, 81 took the medicine TIA
God gave my sick sou. In my distress
threw myself at the feet of a sympathiz
ing God; and when l was too weak t
pray, or to look up, he breathed into me
peace that / think must be the foretaste Q
that Heaven where there is neither teal
nor farewell, nor grave"
Come, all We who have been out to til
, grave to weep there-come, all We comfort
ed souls, get up off your knees. Is ther
no power in this Gospel to soothe the heart
Is there no power in this religion to quie
the worst paroxysm of grief? There come
1 up an answer from comforted widowhoot
s and orphanage, and childlessness, saying
AYE, aye, we are witnessesw
Again, remark that we are witnesse
Q of the fact that religion has power to Civ
composure in the last moment. 1 sha
never forget the first time confronte
: death. We went across the corn fields
the country. was led by my father
9 hand, and we came to the farm hous
l where the bereavement had come, and W
Q saw the crowd of wagons and carriages
r but there was one carriage that especial
. attracted by boyi atten ton, and it ha
4 black plumes. l said:
"What's that? what's that? Why thos
: black tassels at the top?"
After it was explained to me, ws
lifted up to look upon the bright f ce of a
$ aged Christian woman, who three day
l before had departed in triumph. Tt
: whole scene made an impression neve
forgot.
I In our sermons and in our lay exhort
lions we are very apt, when we want I
bring illustrations of dying triumph, to {
d back to some distinguished parsonage
o to John Knox or Harriet Newell. b
/; / want you for witnesses.
J, want to know if you have ever see
;, anything to make you believe that the r
t ligion of Christ can give composure in ii
4 final hnur Noxr IN he ,or,tc oftorpa